Monthly Archives: March 2015

Between 1964 and 2013, The Eagle featured an April Fools’ issue in each year with the following exceptions: 1970, 1982-1984, 1987, 1989-1992, and 2010. The names of the issues varied from year to year but The Ego, The Beagle, and The Bagel were each used at least twice. Because of the production schedule of The Eagle, the April Fools’ issues were not always released on April 1, with publication dates ranging from March 27 to April 20. Editors played with issue dates as well. For example in 1974, the issue was dated April 1, 1984 while in 1986 the issue was dated March 32, 1986.

AU students have produced a number of humor publications over the years. The original humor magazine was called The Beak. The Archives has a copy of its first and possibly only issue. Its successor, The Bald Eagle, began in 1959 and ran until 1965. The Archives has the complete run.

American University Archives and Special Collections welcomes class visits. We can provide an orientation to our holdings, design individual or group activities using primary sources, or help with research projects. The University Archivist will work with individual faculty members to develop assignments tailored for their classes.

This image is from a recent visit by Professor Dan Whitman’s AU Scholars Research Lab to AU Archives. The students got an introduction to our holdings as well as a peak at a couple of our treasures, including a letter from George Washington dated 16 March 1795 concerning the need for a national University and a book featuring the first printed mathematical multiplication table from 1488.

For over fifty years, the AU Women’s Club hosted events ranging from welcome teas for foreign students to fundraisers. Founded in 1930 as the Faculty Woman’s Club, it offered an annual award to a woman student who made an outstanding contribution to life of university. The student’s name was engraved on friendship tray.

Faculty Women’s Club Friendship Tray

The AU Women’s Club membership included faculty and staff and wives of faculty and staff. Starting in 1972, they began awarding a scholarship for a woman student. By the 1980s, they were offering two awards for juniors to use in their senior year.

To learn more about women on campus, visit our exhibit, All About Women: 90 Years of AU History 1893-1983, on display on the first floor of the library.